Inhaler



(No Model.)

A. M. ADSIT.

INHALBR.

Patented Feb. 6, 1894.

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PATENT FFICEG.

ALFRED M. ADSIT, OF HASTINGS, MINNESOTA.

INHALER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,298, dated February6, 1894.

Application filed May 19, 1893- Serial No. 474,800. (No model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED M. ADSIT, of Hastings, in the county ofDakota and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and ImprovedAnaesthetizer, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, forming a part thereof, in which-Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of my improved anaesthetizer.Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3is a horizontal section taken on line 33 in Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Anaesthetics, such as chloroform and ether, are commonly administered bysaturating a towel with the anaesthetic and covering it with a cone ofpaper. This device is held tightly down over the face, almost whollyexcluding the air. vapor which is but slightly diluted with air.Administered in this way, the anaesthetic acts as an irritant to themucous membrane, and the initial effect is the arrest of inspiration. Itis generally admitted that death from ether is due to direct paralysisof the respiratory centers. Without doubt the respiratory centers areaffected by ether, but it is believed that paralysis has a greater causein the limited supply of air and in the hasty administration.

It is believed that the greatest danger in the inhalation ofanaesthetics lies in the initial disturbance of inspiration, preventingthe proper aeration of the blood, and the flushed face, the distendedveins, coughing, the jerky catching inspiration, the increased flow ofmucous, and the struggle for-liberty result. To avoid these bad' effectsit is necessary to observe two rules; first, to begin the administrationwith air lightly charged with the anaesthetic; and second, to alwaysallow all the air necessary to sustain life comfortably, that is to say,allow the patient as much air during the administration of theanaesthetic as would be required were he engaged in the usual pursuitsof life.

Ohloroform and ether are the most perfect anaesthetics known, both beingcapable of producing anaesthesia quickly when inhaled with abundance ofair. After anaesthesia is The patient is compelled to breathe obtained,then the all-important point is to simply maintain the anaestheticcondition. This can be accomplished by adding only a sufficient quantityof the stupefying vapor to accurately balance or replace the amountbeing constantly eliminated. Elimination takes place quite slowly,therefore only a small quantity should be given each minute. Thegreatest danger lies in the over-saturation of the tissues. In theadministration of ether, not more than fifteen drops should be used thefirst minute, or the equivalent of one drop to each inspiration. Ofchloroform, not more than four drops should be given the first minute,and the quantity given at any time ought not to exceed fifteen drops.After the first fifteen drops of ether have been inhaled the patientwill have become accustomed to the vapor, and all fear of impendingdanger removed from his mind. Now the quantity can be graduallyincreased from thirty to sixty drops per minute, or in the case ofchloroform, from five to fifteen drops. As soon as anaesthesia isobtained, the quantity should be reduced to about fifteen drops ofether, or four drops of chloroform, which will quite accuratelyrepresent the elimination.

The object of my invention is to provide apparatus by means of which theprinciple above enunciated may be carried out, and to this end, myinvention consists in an inhaler provided with a reservoir for theanaesthetic, a series of perforated septums of bibulous material,induction and eduction valves for air, and a hood for coveringthe mouthof the patient; also in the combination with the reservoir for theanaesthetic, of avalve for regulating the supply of the anaesthetic tothe bibulous septums contained by the inhaler, all as will behereinafter more fully described.

The body A, of the inhaler, is provided with horizontal partitions a,formed of perforated metal or wire cloth, and the said partitions areprovided with large apertures arranged so that the apertures of thefirst partition do not coincide with those of the second, those of thesecond do not coincide with those of the third, and so on, thisarrangement being made to insure a zigzag course of the air through theseveral partitions. Upon these partitions are placed disks of blottingpaper or analogous bibulous material having openings corresponding withthe apertures of the perforated partitions upon which they rest. Thelower end of the body of the inhaler is closed with the exception of theapertures b, c, and between the lower horizontal partition a and thebottom of the inhaler, are inserted inclined partitions d, e, thepartitions d, e, forming compartments f, g. The inclined partition 6 isapertured to establish communication between the body of the inhaler andthe compartment g, while in the side of the inhaler is formed anaperture h, for the escape of air. The valve B, which closes theaperture b, is attached to a lightspring z', the said valve beingarranged upon the inner surface of the bottom of the inhaler, and thevalve 0 which closes the aperture 0 in the bottom of the inhaler isplaced on the outside of the bottom of the inhaler and attached to oneend of a light springj, the other end of which is secured to the bottomof the inhaler.

A flexible hood D, is attached to the lower endof the inhaler andadapted to inclose the mouth and nose of the patient. Over the upper endof the inhaler is placed a hollow cover E, having a central opening forthe admission of air to the inhaler, and an annular space Z forcontaining the anaesthetic. The top of the cover-E is provided with afilling opening m, which is closed by a screw cap a, furnished with asmall perforation 0 for admitting air to replace the liquid used in theinhaler. At one side of the cover E is secured a screw valve F, whichfits the valve seat 10, and is furnished with a screw-head by which itmay be adjusted.

One or more thicknesses of blotting paper being placed on each of theperforated partitions, and the anaesthetic being placed in the annularchamber Z, the operation of anaesthetizing the patient is begun byopening the valve F and allowing a few drops of the anaesthetic to dropupon the blotting paper, the supply being regulated in accordance withthe principles set forth at the beginning of this specification. Thepatient draws air charged with the anaesthetic through the aperture c,and exhales it through the aperture 1), the valves 0, B, automaticallyclosing the apertures after each inhalation and exhalation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. An anaesthetizer comprising a hollow body havingone or more septnms, or partitions, provided with air openings ofrelatively large size, and numerous small perforations, bibulousmaterial applied to said septums or partitions without obstructing theair openings, and valved openings 1) and c, as shown and described forthe purpose specified.

2. An anaesthetizer consisting of a hollow body, having a liquidreservoir and liquiddischarge regulator, a series of minutely perforatedseptums, or partitions, having large air openings which are out ofregistration in contiguous portions, bibulous material supported by suchpartitions and having openings corresponding to said air openings, and abottom partition having openings 11 and 0, provided with spring-pressedvalves opening in opposite directions, as shown and described.

3. The anzesthetizer consisting of the hollow body, the top air inlet,70, and liquid reservoir, the valve drop regulator, the series of wiregauze septums, and sheets of hibulous material resting on the latter andprovided with coincident large air openings arranged to give a zigzagcourse to the air current, the perforate and imperforate inclinedpartitionsf, g, and the bottom portion having openings 1) c, withspring-pressed valves opening in opposite directions, all as shown anddescribed.

ALFRED M. ADSIT.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM HODGSON, ALBERT SCHALLER.

